Vrana scores in Red Wings debut in win against Blackhawks

DETROIT-- Troy Stecher scored twice for the first time in the NHL and the Detroit Red Wings won their third straight game, 4-1 against the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.

Jakub Vrana scored in his Red Wings debut, and Thomas Greiss made 24 saves for Detroit (16-23-6), which had not won three straight since Nov. 8-12, 2019. Vrana was acquired from the Washington Capitals on Monday in a trade for Anthony Mantha.
"We're a better hockey team than we were at the beginning of the season, and a lot of that is due to our young players," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "We've got 11 games left and we can't waste a second of that opportunity to keep improving."

Chicago (20-19-5), which was 5-1-0 against Detroit this season, remained four points behind the Nashville Predators fourth place in the eight-team Discover Central Division. The top four teams make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"There were two huge points up for grabs tonight and we didn't get it done," Blackhawks center Dylan Strome said. "Nashville losing tonight is a good thing (4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes), but we have to go out there and find a way to get two points against [Detroit] on Saturday."
Kevin Lankinen made 24 saves for Chicago.
The teams play here Saturday.
Duncan Keith gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead at 14:47 of the first period, one-timing Alex DeBrincat's cross-ice pass into an open net for his second goal in as many games. Keith had not scored in consecutive games since Jan. 24-26, 2017.
The Red Wings came back with three goals in the second period.
Stecher tied the game 1-1 at 4:49 with a slap shot that deflected off Lankinen's blocker and over his shoulder.
"I could take that shot 99 more times and never score," Stecher said. "I just closed my eyes, let it go and got a bounce. That's a huge lift for the team."

Vrana made it 2-1 at 8:55, scoring on a breakaway. Vrana, who was serving a bench minor, came out of the box to receive a pass from Gustav Lindstrom.
"I was worried we might go to 4-on-4 and not have him, but I wanted him to be out there with [Dylan] Larkin and [Filip] Zadina after the kill," Blashill said of his decision to use Vrana to serve the penalty. "It worked out really well."
Stecher made it 3-1 with his second of the game at 11:15, pinching in to take a pass from Danny DeKeyser and tuck it behind Lankinen.
"That was just a great pass from [DeKeyser]," Stecher said. "The goalie thought he was going to shoot and he put the puck right on my tape. I just had to put it in the empty net."
Stecher, who made his NHL debut on Oct. 25, 2016 for the Vancouver Canucks, had never scored twice in the same month.
"I was trying not to think about a hat trick, but everyone in the locker room was telling me to shoot every time I got a chance," Stecher said. "It would have been nice, but I'm very happy to get my first two-goal game."
Michael Rasmussen scored into an empty net at 18:34 of the third period.
"Detroit's a good team and they are playing a patient, simple game," Keith said. "We only got one goal tonight, but we had chances. We've just got to find a way to get those extra goals on Saturday."
NOTES: Vrana became the second Red Wings player to score in his debut with the team this season. Bobby Ryan did it Jan. 16 against the Hurricanes. … Lankinen was 4-0-0 with a .962 save percentage against Detroit this season. … Stecher was the first Red Wings defenseman with a two-goal game since Nick Jensen on Oct. 11, 2018 in a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.